This application claims the priority of German patent document 10 2004 058 787.6, filed Dec. 7, 2004, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a radiator grill for a motor vehicle, having a chromium-plated mask which has a mask frame that includes a plurality of mask decorative strips secured to individual support plates of a support frame.
Depending on the vehicle design, it may be necessary for the radiator grill to be fitted precisely to the front of the vehicle, which means that in the event of a collision, the radiator grill is subject to an impact force. In some countries, it is a statutory requirement that the radiator grill be elastically deformed to a certain extent if an impact force is applied to it.
German patent document DE 37 38 505 C1 discloses a vehicle radiator mask with a U-shaped frame for accommodating a radiator grill which is secured to a hood. To reduce the risk of damage, the known radiator mask is made from energy-elastic plastic.
German patent document DE 100 13 427 C2, on the other hand, describes a motor vehicle front end with a front bumper and a front cover which is mounted behind the bumper. The front cover is mounted pivotably on a supporting component and, in the event of a frontal collision, is pivoted backwards about an approximately horizontal transverse axis as a result of an associated bumper region being displaced backwards, carrying the bumper with it. The front cover is suspended in pendulum fashion from the support component at a distance above the bumper, and the opposite surface in its lower region is constantly secured to the supporting surface of the bumper.
German patent document DE 44 35 396 C2 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,597 provide an elastic automobile radiator grill for mounting on the hood of an automobile. This known automobile radiator grill is able to bend at any time if it is subjected to an impact from a source located outside the car, without plastic deformation of the component, elastic holding means or a flange.
Finally, German patent document DE 44 26 803 A1 discloses a vehicle radiator grill which is selectively chromium-plated to improve the bending properties of the radiator grill.
One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a vehicle radiator grill that has a chromium-plated mask which includes a mask frame comprising a plurality of mask decorative strips secured to individual support plates of a support frame.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a vehicle grill which is sufficiently elastically deformable.
These and other objects and advantages are achieved by the vehicle grill according to the invention in which, the individual support plates are elastically deformably connected to one another by spring devices. The individual support plates and the mask decorative strips preferably run horizontally, based on the motor vehicle.
For visual reasons, it may be necessary for the mask frame and the mask decorative strips to be continuously coated with a brittle material, such as chromium, which makes sufficient elastic deformation of the mask frame and the mask decorative strips more difficult. The spring devices according to the invention enable the mask frame and the mask decorative strips to be sufficiently deformed together with the support frame or the individual support plates.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention one or more (and preferably all) of the spring devices comprise a spring element that projects from an individual support plate and is connected to the adjacent individual support plate by a connecting element. It is preferable for the spring element to extend in the same plane as the individual support plate from which it projects. The connecting element is preferably arranged perpendicular to the individual support plates.
In another preferred embodiment, the spring element is formed integrally with the connecting element and the individual support plates. Preferably, the spring element, the connecting element and the individual support plates are formed by a single plastic injection-molded part.
According to the invention, the spring element may be of substantially U-shaped design and has a base with two limbs leading away from it. This allows sufficient deformation of the individual support plates in various directions.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the free ends of the limbs of the spring element are secured to an individual support plate, and the free ends of the limbs of the spring element are connected to the underside of the associated individual support plate.
According to still another preferred embodiment of the radiator grill, the connecting element is secured to the base of the spring element. It is preferable for the connecting element to be connected to the center of the base of the spring element. This creates a stable, optionally elastic connection between the spring element and the adjacent individual support plate.
According to the invention, the connecting element may be in the form of an elongate bar, and has a cross section that is optimized with regard to the flow resistance and is, for example, substantially rectangular, optionally with rounded edges.
Another preferred embodiment of the radiator grill has the at least one mask decorative bar arranged transversely with respect to the mask decorative strips, with one end secured to the mask frame and the other end accommodated in a cutout which is provided in the mask frame. The cutout is configured and dimensioned in such a way as to allow a relative movement between the decorative bar and the mask frame.
In yet another preferred embodiment, each pair of two adjacent individual support plates are elastically deformably connected to one another by a plurality of spring devices, which ensures a high degree of deformability.
Finally, the support frame may be formed integrally with the individual support plates and the spring devices, reducing the production and assembly costs.
In a motor vehicle with a hood, the above-mentioned object is achieved by fitting a radiator grill as described above to the hood. Preferably, the mask decorative strips are secured to the individual support plates releasably (i.e., in such a manner that they can be detached without being destroyed). Likewise, it is preferable for the mask frame to be secured to the support frame releasably, such that it can be detached without being destroyed. It is preferable for the mask frame to be integrally connected to the mask decorative strips and the mask decorative bar.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.